Does it get easier?

A friend who recently challenged herself to write a blog post each day contacted me at one point to ask a simple question: Does it get any easier?

It got me thinking about my own blogging journey, which has so far included nearly 500 posts. Self-imposed rule #1 for me is that I never go a day without posting.

It didn’t take long for blogging to become akin to breathing in terms of things I’ve come to rely on for my very survival — because blogging has become a bridge between my inner reflections and outer experiences.

Everybody needs these bridges, which serve us best when tended often. Some journal. Some write poetry or song. Some paint or perform on stage. Some text or tweet. Some research or report.

I prefer the immediacy of blogging — the ability to tell stories as soon as I encounter them, to reflect the pulse of current issues or events, to share resources for which there’s an immediate and pressing need.

The hardest part of daily posting isn’t finding or telling the stories. It’s letting go of all the materials and musings that can’t make it into a single post. In this way, blogging is like editing. It’s a word by word choice about what matters, and what we can do with the space and time given.

The hardest posts for me are those that merely recount facts, such as who is coming to the Valley when to perform what piece of performance art. That stuff is everywhere, and I find little joy in reciting it.

I’ve become more mindful of not duplicating the work of others, especially when it’s ably done. Knowing the magazine already crafts a comprehensive daily calendar (in print and online) frees me from trying to list each and every art experience that’s out there.

Blogging also frees me from some of my own hang-ups, like a pesky perfectionism that’s both a blessing and a curse in the world of writing. I’m learning that done sometimes trumps perfect, though perfect is still my first love.

The beauty of blogging is the thrill of the hunt. Looking for that next trail of crumbs, and following the trail to see where it ends — or branches off into even more paths to explore.

As people drop more crumbs, and I grow to appreciate their beauty over that of a carefully constructed multi-tiered cake, I find that blogging does in fact get easier. And sweeter too.

— Lynn

Note: Click here to learn more about the 2011 Post a Day and Post a Week challenge from WordPress.